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These eateries are among our critics’ favorites in the region.

Heading to the “Little City” of Falls Church? Make time to visit these top-tier restaurants, serving top-grade Korean barbecue, modern American bites, and beyond. Our critics selected these nine Falls Church restaurants as part of our 2025 Best Restaurants list.

By Alice Levitt, Dawn Klavon, and Monica Saigal

Price Key: Entrées = $ 15 and under | $$ 16–25 | $$$ 26–40 | $$$$ 41 and over | * = prix fixe only

Falls Church | Modern American | $$$$

Quarter-life crisis? Not this hallowed culinary ground, which first served guests in 2002. Chef Bertrand Chemel, who has himself been in the kitchen since 2008, keeps his restaurant fresh with monthly menu updates that course the planet for both the best ingredients and the most creative techniques.

Tasting menus include vegetarian and meaty options, and diners can exercise their right to choose for all five courses. A celebration of the summer harvest might include a buttery kampachi crudo swimming in marbled tomato-tarragon sauce with cherry tomatoes and chive blossoms, then move along to creamy corn espuma dotted with kernels and pickled chanterelles. It’s topped with peanuts and popcorn for an elevated take on summer snacking.

Prefer to sink your teeth into a simple steak? The rib-eye here is the best you’ll find — raised humanely, cooked to your liking, expertly sauced, and accompanied by crispy potatoes.

After nearly two decades in the kitchen at this art-filled icon, Chemel isn’t even close to running out of tricks up his sleeve. And we won’t ever stop eating it up.

Eat This: Yellow corn-chanterelles, grilled Braveheart Farm rib-eye, Amaretto & Chocolate

Falls Church | Modern American | $$$

There’s a Michelin man quietly standing on a shelf near Ellie Bird’s open kitchen. That is the only nod to the star that Yuan and Carey Tang’s other restaurant, Rooster & Owl in DC, has held onto for years in the famed guide.

But there’s evidence at every turn: The unfalteringly friendly yet professional service. The attention to detail in the avian-themed environment that even extends to the restrooms. But especially the creative cuisine.

Yuan Tang’s fusion of pho and cheesy French onion soup has quietly been the best version of either in NoVA since its debut in 2023.

The chef and his team never seem to stop coming up with dishes you won’t find anywhere else. A claw-on presentation of grilled Amish chicken fuses the ends of Asia with flavors of sesame oil and spiced yogurt that elevate the bird to new heights of flavor.

Executive pastry chef Corey Jamison, a newer addition, thrills with toasted marshmallow ice cream atop an almost impossibly light chocolate tart with peanut butter crunch.

And every mouthful is Michelin-worthy.

Eat This: Vietnamese French onion soup, grilled Amish chicken, chocolate tart

Falls Church | American | $$$

Look past the plastic tablecloths and directly to the fire blazing in the oven at the back of the restaurant. You are here for flame-caressed vittles, not ambience. However, sit down for a meal at casual Harvey’s and expect the kind of ingredient-obsessed service you’ll find at a fine-dining restaurant.

Focus your attention on the fire-roasted duck breast — the skin is blistered into buttery chicharrónes atop blushingly tender flesh. Salt would be enough, but you’re treated instead to pineapple–ancho chile glaze that levels up the experience with not-too-sweet spice. The peach risotto beneath, with its al dente grains, also sidesteps the sugary mess it could have been with gooey, cheesy flair.

“How is the bread pudding?” you ask the server. His answer, “Intimidating,” is accurate. There’s plenty of the flaky peach-bourbon dessert to share.

With its locavore ethos and creative scratch cooking, Harvey’s is a date night for diners who appreciate stellar cuisine, no need for frills.

Eat This: Fried calamari, fire-roasted duck breast, bread pudding

Falls Church | Vietnamese | $$$

Slip past the main doorway and you’re swallowed by violet — plush chairs, floral murals, even the napkins glow purple. It is as if Monet had opened a supper club on Saigon’s edge.

The menu is equally kaleidoscopic. Every dish has its own suggested cocktail, and the kitchen leans into seasonal whimsy.

Begin with chile oil wontons, silk-thin parcels of Gulf shrimp and pork that bob in a sweet-heat pool so addictive you’ll want a second round. The golden soft-shell lands next. The crab, cloaked in banh xeo batter, is flash-fried and then doused tableside with a tamarind sauce that makes the herbs beneath sing. Save just enough room for the ca phe tres leches cake, a Vietnamese-coffee sponge crowned with salted-egg buttercream that tastes like tiramisu took a trip to Hanoi.

Nue is pure, playful poetry like a garden party for the senses that leaves you plotting your next violet-hued escape even before the check arrives.

Eat This: Chile oil wontons, golden soft-shell crab, ca phe tres leches

Arlington | Lao | $$

The first thing you notice at Padaek is the mural of hibiscus and orchids tumbling across the wall like a Laotian garden in full bloom. The second is the energy from tables packed with diners.

Chef Seng Luangrath builds her menu around comfort and memory. Crispy Lao chive cakes arrive warm and herb-packed, sharpened by tamarind sauce. Garlic chicken wings, sticky and crackling, are impossible to resist. Kao pad brings fried rice studded with basil and peppers, while the crispy blue catfish, bathed in a chile-herb sauce, anchors the table. Service is quick and gracious, the kind that keeps the evening moving without ever rushing you.

Then comes dessert: Mango sticky rice draped in coconut cream, sesame seeds glinting on top. Like the mural at the door, it leaves you with brightness, warmth, and a reason to come back.

Eat This: Lao chive cakes, catfish stir-fry, mango sticky rice

Falls Church | Vietnamese | $$

You’ll spot the line before the sign. Tucked inside Eden Center, Rice Paper rarely has an empty table — and for good reason. For more than a decade, this casual spot has been dishing out fresh, flavorful Vietnamese fare to loyal diners.

Start with the coconut salad, a tangle of young palm, shrimp, pork, and herbs that eats like the hottest season on a plate. The coconut curry, layered with tofu, pineapple, and a peanut crunch, balances sweetness and spice with each bite. And the sizzling stir-fried chicken in lemongrass and chile sauce packs just enough heat to keep things interesting, especially when chased by spoonfuls of fragrant jasmine rice. When the seasonal mango sticky rice shows up on the menu, trust that dessert isn’t optional.

The servers are swift, and the vibe is unpretentious. At Rice Paper, the line outside is simply proof you’re in the right place.

Eat This: Coconut salad with shrimp and pork, tofu coconut curry, lemongrass chile chicken

Falls Church | Modern Korean | $$$$

We can all agree: Korean barbecue is delicious. But from bulgogi to soybean stew, it’s not the most creative or varied of cuisines. Unless you get your ’cue at Seoul Prime.

There, the team behind Honest Grill kicks the Korean steakhouse concept up several notches with original creations that taste every bit as fantastic as they sound. Try the heirloom tomato and burrata salad. Dressed in kimchi vinaigrette, tiger-striped tomatoes share space with creamy, oozy cheese and pickled biquinho peppers.

But the beef is still the centerpiece. There are three “tours” and à la carte options. Pick the mid-range prime steak tour that starts with a hulking, dry-aged rib-eye. The four-meat assault of ideally caramelized protein cooked at your table culminates in marinated prime short ribs that melt in sweet delight.

End the meal with a croffle — a buttery, flaky croissant cooked in a waffle iron and topped with vanilla ice cream and berry coulis. There’s no question that this is fine-dining Korean barbecue that stands out in the increasingly crowded field.

Eat This: Heirloom tomato and burrata, prime steak tour, croffle

Alexandria & Falls Church | Italian | $$$

You’ll admit it without hesitation or embarrassment: You made a reservation at Thompson Italian for the carbs. Before the freshly made pasta, there’s the free focaccia, so indulgently oily that it leaves a rectangular print on your plate when it’s gone.

But have you tried the salad? Chef-owners Gabe and Katherine Thompson are masters of flavor, and while many of their greatest works are noodle-based, their medium is local produce.

It stands to reason that a summer melon salad would be memorable. Balled honeydew, cantaloupe, and watermelon, along with slices of cucumber, a honey-lime vinaigrette, whipped feta, jalapeños, mint, and crumbly olive “granola” conspire to make you salivate even after it’s gone.

Fruity desserts like mixed berry tiramisu and blackberry upside down cake are Katherine’s domain, and they’re just as fresh, seasonal, and intensely flavored.

Yes, order a bowl or three of creamy, truffled mushroom mafaldine. But don’t skimp on salad — or sweets.

Eat This: Summer melon salad, mafaldine, mixed berry tiramisu

Falls Church | Modern American | $$$

Mouthwatering cuisine and noteworthy hospitality in a tranquil setting? Sounds like the restaurant triple crown.

Gems like zesty garlic shrimp bathed in citrus and white-wine butter, served with rustic grilled bread, impress right out of the gate. Dreamy dayboat scallops atop sweet corn with roasted mushrooms, tender filet mignon enriched by Chianti jus, and soy-glazed Chilean sea bass paired with silky carrot-ginger purée are all noteworthy entrée options.

Bourbon peach cobbler, generously partnered with vanilla ice cream, is brought by attentive servers to end an enchanting evening that’s accompanied by live piano music. With its triptych of outstanding service, exceptional cuisine, and inviting ambience, Trio Grill is a winner.

Eat This: French onion soup gratinée, pan-seared dayboat scallops, Bourbon peach cobbler

Feature image of Ellie Bird by Albert Ting

This story originally ran in our November issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to Northern Virginia Magazine.

Grocery Outlet will open its first Virginia store next month in Falls Church, with more locations planned, the company said.

Grocery Outlet Holding Corp. announced the upcoming opening of its store in Falls Church, slated for Feb. 12. It will mark Grocery Outlet’s official entrance into Virginia and kick off a series of openings across the state.

The Virginia launch represents a key milestone in Grocery Outlet’s disciplined, long-term growth strategy, reinforcing the Company’s commitment to bringing Xtreme Value™ to new communities. Grocery Outlet is proud to be able to offer community members products at prices 40% to 70% below those of conventional retailers, especially in areas that had been or would otherwise be considered food deserts. Virginia customers will also enjoy unbeatable deals on a wide selection of premium wines.

“Extreme Value is coming to Virginia!” said Jason Potter, Chief Executive Officer of Grocery Outlet. “We are thrilled to open our first Grocery Outlet store in Falls Church and give shoppers the best of both worlds: unbeatable treasure-hunt deals on unique finds and significant savings on everyday grocery essentials. This is all part of our commitment to helping families stretch their budgets without sacrificing quality. We’re excited to continue that commitment in Virginia.”

With more than 560 stores open across the country, Grocery Outlet is constantly evaluating growth opportunities and helping consumers stretch their dollar on name-brand items.

About Grocery Outlet

Based in Emeryville, California, Grocery Outlet is a high-growth, extreme value retailer of quality, name-brand consumables and fresh products sold primarily through a network of independently operated stores. Grocery Outlet and its subsidiaries have more than 560 stores in California, Washington, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Idaho, Nevada, Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, Ohio, Georgia, Alabama, Delaware, Kentucky and Virginia.

This groundbreaking survey of female visual artists from the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia was selected by D.C.-based artist, critic, and curator Florencio Lennox “Lenny” Campello. The exhibition opens with a “meet-the-artists” reception scheduled for January 10 from 7:00–9:00 p.m. The event, which is free and open to the public, will provide visitors with the opportunity to meet participating artists and Campello, as well as to vote for the People’s Choice Award winner. “Women Artists of the DMV” will be on display through February 22.

The sixty artists participating in “Women Artists of the DMV” at Falls Church Arts demonstrate the creative power, vibrancy, and diversity of local female artists. Pieces on view will range widely in scale, style, and approach and are in a variety of media, including acrylic on canvas, acrylic on gesso wood, oil on canvas, oil on panel, photography, collage, mixed media, watercolor and gouache, etching, intaglio print, and terracotta.

Campello conceived this groundbreaking exhibition some twenty years ago as an opportunity to showcase well-established local female artists and to present mid-career and emerging artists to a wider audience. He began actively planning “Women Artists of the DMV” in 2023 and eventually received nearly 4,000 entries for the project. The resulting series of eighteen shows in 2025 included over 600 works. An entirely new selection of works will be on view at Falls Church Arts in this nineteenth installment of the exhibition.

The Falls Church Arts gallery is at 700-B West Broad St. (Route 7), Falls Church. Admission is free, and the gallery is open with new winter hours: Tuesdays–Fridays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Masks are optional, and guests are asked to postpone their visit if they are not well.

All of the artworks are for sale and can be viewed in person or online at https://www.fallschurcharts.org. Pieces can be purchased at the gallery or on the website.

Visitors to the show can cast their ballot for the People’s Choice Award until February 6; the winner will be announced on February 7.

For more information, visit https://www.fallschurcharts.org or email info@fallschurcharts.org.

The area is gaining fast-casual eateries, a bakery, and a cheese shop.

Falls Church’s Founders Row is quickly establishing itself as a bustling go-to for dining and specialty shopping. A growing lineup of eateries and boutiques is bringing life to the mixed-use development, inviting visitors to savor tacos, dumplings, desserts, and gourmet provisions. Here are five new and coming-soon additions.

Coastal flavors are the star of the show at this seafood-centric spot. Diners head to Fish Taco for beer-battered, blackened or grilled fish, alongside ancho shrimp and blackened salmon. The menu also includes street tacos with chicken, carnitas, chorizo and steak, plus burritos, quesadillas, rice bowls, and starters like shrimp and mango ceviche, crispy chicken tacos and tortilla soup. 930 W. Broad St., Falls Church

Stratford Garden brings a polished and unfussy dining option to the Founders Row neighborhood. The full-service restaurant and bar offers thoughtfully prepared dishes, including a raw bar, small plates, and entrees like steak frites, French dips, and grilled salmon. To start your day, grab a house-made pastry or breakfast sandwich with a $2.50 cup of coffee. Check out the large outdoor drink garden opening in the spring. 300 W. Broad St., Falls Church

Lil Cakes and Creamery specializes in beautifully decorated mini cakes, cupcakes, and creamy ice cream treats. Whether you’re celebrating a special occasion or indulging just for fun, this cheerful dessert shop delivers cupcakes, milkshakes, ice cream, cookies, and puppy treats. 120 Founders Ave., Falls Church

Say cheese! Cheese Cartel is heavenly for cheese lovers and home entertainers, offering a curated selection of artisan cheeses, charcuterie, olives, tapenades, fresh baguettes, crackers, preserves, chocolates, nuts, and gluten-free options. Keep an eye out for its opening at the end of February. 922 W. Broad St., Falls Church

Plan to pop into this fast-casual restaurant for handmade dumplings and comforting Asian-inspired dishes. Think ​​handmade Chinese dumplings and savory noodles made with fresh ingredients and traditional recipes. Grab lunch, dinner, or takeout — the grand opening is planned for 2026. 106 N. West St., Falls Church

Feature image courtesy Fish Taco